As this
birthday began to make itself visible in the horizon a month or so ago, I found
myself eyeing it suspiciously, even fearfully. 48. Four dozen years. Only two
years away from the half-century mark.
Jeez, I’m old. I’m so old I’m -
*gasp* - middle-aged! (Consider the Suzi
Quatro song from which I borrowed this post’s title, with her snarling put down
of the stereotypical male midlife crisis: “You've got the kind of a mind of a
juvenile Romeo/And you're so blind you could find that your motor ain't ready
to go...” Ouch!)
But, as the
day has drawn ever closer, I changed my stance and decided to embrace it. Sure I’m older, but I've had many truly
wonderful experiences during my 48 trips around the sun. I figure I’d like to make it to 100, and by
that measure I’m not even halfway there!
Many folks
have their lifetime bucket lists – the things they want to do, see or
experience before they die. Since I have
already declared 2015 to be the First Annual Year of Bryan (first of many – I’m
going to 100, remember?), I have put together my bucket list not for life, but
for this 48th year! So here
are the 48 things I want to do, see or experience before 49 shows up in 365
days. Some are musts, some are wants,
some are hopes and dreams – but all are actually doable. I figure I will check in here at the blog
about once a month and let you folks know how I’m coming along. And please, if any of you wish to help out on
any item on the list, by all means speak up! The First Annual Year of Bryan is
for all to participate in and enjoy!
In no
particular order:
1. Lose 48 pounds (4 pounds a month is
very doable, I figure)
2. Develop weekly exercise program (get
off my butt and move!)
3. Complete 1967 baseball card set (already
in process!)
4. Front porch painted (desperately
needed)
5. Deck repaired/sealed (desperately
needed)
6. Learn to drive (this would be a major
accomplishment)
7. Convert vhs collection to digital (already
in process!)
8. Convert album collection to digital (already
in process!)
9. See One-Eyed Doll in concert again – this time
as a VIP (my favorite current band – if you read this blog you know that!
Kimberly and Junior are awesome folks, but to get to hang out after a show with
them would be amazing!)
10. See Sparks in concert (my two all-time
favorite bands are Bow Wow Wow and Sparks.
Got to see Bow Wow Wow in concert, but not Sparks…yet)
11. Visit the beach (it’s been years since
I’ve seen the ocean)
12. Truly return to regular blogging schedule (I
keep trying!)
13. Start my own podcast (have wanted to do
this for awhile now)
14. Write a book (I keep trying!)
15. Learn to cook pastitsio (I am spoiled
by the annual Greek Food Bazaar here in Lancaster; I will learn to cook this
dish well!)
16. See Mount Rushmore (one of our country’s
sights I’ve always wanted to see in person to truly take in its scale and
majesty)
17. Travel out of the country (I've never
been – not even to Canada or Mexico)
18. Attend a murder-mystery dinner (they always seem like fun)
19. Host a cookout (something I've wanted
to do for as long as I’ve owned the house)
20. Enroll in a beginner yoga class (ties
into the earlier exercise thing)
21. Get back on radio in some way (used to
do radio in college and loved it – and miss it!)
22. Try again to reconnect to Shillington, PA (I
blogged about discovering that a childhood best friend had passed away in this post. Something is still nagging at me
to find a way to reconnect to someone from that era of my life. I’d like to follow that urge and discover why
– where will it lead me?)
23. Volunteer (I want to find some way to
give back)
24. Take an improv comedy class (I have
always been impressed by those who can do improve well; I’d like to see how
well I could do at it)
25. Research family tree (already in
process – wonder how far back I can go?)
26. Spend one full week "off the
grid" (one week with no internet, no iPhone, no Facebook…)
27. Cut debt load in half (already in
process, I am pleased to say!)
28. Create a passive income source (sure
would help with the debt load)
29. Taste a truly expensive scotch (just to
see how truly different it is from the stuff I can afford)
30. Host a game night (I love Wil Wheaton's
“Tabletop” YouTube series – I’d love to have a group of friends over for a
board game or two like that)
31. Host a movie night (have a group over
to watch a couple of my personal faves)
32. Attend a storage auction (I’m a sucker
for those storage auction shows on TV!)
33. See the Grand Canyon (another one of
our country’s sights I've always wanted to see in person to truly take in its
scale and majesty)
34. Drop grudges (some I have held for too
long. I want to learn to forgive)
35. Speak before an audience of 1000 or greater
(ah, the great fear of public speaking!)
36. Be onstage (sort of ties into the item
above, but maybe as more of a baby step: just get onstage, even in a
non-speaking role, just to put myself in front of people)
37. Learn to juggle (it always looks like
people who can juggle well are having a blast!)
38. Prepare my will (I may plan to make it
to 100, but sometimes the Universe has other plans. Best to prepare)
39. Be a part of a flashmob (have wanted to
do this for some time)
40. Take a hot air balloon trip (seems like
it would be both peaceful and exhilarating)
41. Have a real lobster roll from Maine (can’t
get ‘em much fresher, I’m told)
42. Take a coast-to-coast train ride (what
better way to see the country?)
43. Learn CPR (just think I should know in
the event of an emergency)
44. Fire a gun (for the experience)
45. Visit a zoo (loved the zoo as a kid;
haven’t been to one since I was a kid!)
46. Learn to play the harmonica (for those
days when I get the blues in my soul)
47. Get a professional massage (I’m told it’s
wonderful)
48. Cook every single recipe in a cookbook (just
start at page one and work my way through!)
Sparks has a great recent song called "The Final Derriere". I've been a fan since I saw them on Kirshner's Rock concert in the early 70s. Somehow massive fame has eluded them. Oh... I follow Mr Weird and Wacky too!
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